The Tarim Basin in northwest China, a major provider of fuel for the country's west-to-east natural gas pipeline, produced 11 billion cubic meters of gas last year, nearly double the output of 2005, a company source said on Friday.

Natural gas output increased by 5.3 billion cubic meters over 2005, as a number of new wells entered production and more gas treatment equipment was commissioned, said a source with Tarim Oilfields Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation, the country's leading oil company.

Counted in oil equivalent, the Tarim Oilfields Co. produced 15.33 million tons last year, compared with 11.13 million tons in 2005, the source said.

CNPC Tarim Oilfields Co. is a key player in the 4,000-km pipeline project designed to bring natural gas from western China -- primarily Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Shaanxi Province-- to 34 cities in the economically developed but energy-starved eastern regions.

Situated in southern Xinjiang, the 560,000 square-kilometer Tarim Basin has proven oil reserves of 526 million tons and 724 billion cubic meters of gas.

Four major oil producing centers and three major gas gathering hubs have been built in the basin.

(Xinhua News Agency January 13, 2007)